There is one thing I have observed about people seeking employment. Now, I am no trained or certified HR practitioner nor am I some recruitment guru. This is just what I have observed from my little experience of watching how things work.

My very first job as an office administrator was at a small company consisting where the boss herself handled most of the tasks at the organization. This executive lady handled recruitment, finance, and management of basically everything that needed to be done. There was no HR practitioner so I helped out with whatever I was assigned to do. At some point, I needed to be sort of an HR practitioner because the boss was on travel many times and I was assigned to do some sorting tasks on her behalf. Many people out there desperately seeking employment came in regularly to drop-off their CVs. I was assigned to check their applications and see that everything was in order before placing them in our files and passing them on to the boss. Over time, there was a huge batch of CVs in that file. Occasionally, my boss went through that stack of CVs when there was a vacancy in our office or other companies. When there was a fit with a job, she would refer that lucky person. Since I was receiving so many CVs, I looked at them more carefully and began to notice many errors and poor written presentations of skills. Some were sloppy, done on old paper, incomplete, too long or too short and all kinds of other problems.

I remember a lady who walked in and gave me her application. When I looked at it, I already knew that her documents would remain in that file untouched forever. She handed in a simple, unadorned, wrinkled piece of paper. It appeared incomplete with jumps in time (in terms of her qualifications), no order for listing her skills, education, personal information or job experience. It made no sense. It was also written so badly, with bad grammar and punctuation. One could hardly make out what was in the CV! Now my question was, how is anyone supposed employ a person who brings in such a CV? The employer usually has limited time to review any CV. In most cases, CVs get one chance to be considered, if at all! And yet, the documents presented are almost junk. I wondered if the person really thinks they will to get a job on the basis of that messy application? Another lady came in and said she didn’t have any documents because she lost them. But, she handed in a CV that was written in ‘Namlish’ anyway. She asked me to make copies of the only identification she had and when she left she forgot and left the original with me! I cannot wonder why people expect results (i.e., a job) when they act as if their application is an unimportant waste of their time.

Another time, a gentleman came in to submit an application and he looked like he had just jumped out of his bed and showed up - and his CV looked the same. Now, I’m not being overly judgmental - not at all. It’s hard to find a job, I understand it can get very frustrating. I know how it feels like to be dropping off applications to many different places while not receiving any responses. I know how it feels to be rejected after being interviewed even though you believed you had done a good job. It is painful to need a job, not have any money and yet fail repeatedly to get one – I’ve been there, I know! But when searching for a job, it is important to understand why you never received feedback and why you were not short-listed. You must match job announcements with your skills set. If you fall short, you might want to consider up-skilling with certificates or workshops or short courses that are relevant to what you want to do. Have you had a look at your CV? Did you submit a short covering letter with your CV? (many people forget to do this) Maybe ask someone you know who is in HR or who hires people to take a look at your CV and give helpful tips. I regularly update my CV as I gain more experiences and I adjust my CV’s focus based on where I am applying. One CV does not necessarily fit all. Google articles on job hunting for nice tips and ideas. Talk to people who just won a job and ask about their experiences. Have you taken job hunting seriously and do you dress properly when you go drop of your application or show up for an interview? Are your documents in order? Have you supplied all documents required (NQA certification, police clearances, certified copies) for the application? If you don’t have a document that is required or you miss the application deadline, they will probably toss your packet in the trash.

Are you hopeful, do you pray? What do you do to keep your hopes up? Did you ever think that just maybe you’re pushing doors that aren’t meant for you? Maybe you are aiming too high or are applying in the wrong field? You cannot force employment; there must be a fit. So here you are with your application applying for a job to be an airplane pilot when you have never even flown an aircraft and have no certifications or qualifications or skills in that direction. You just like the idea of flying and like the salary a pilot earns, so you sent in an application. This is a total ‘misfit’; a waste of time. Dear applicants out there (including myself), seeking employment is not easy and instant results are rare. In most cases, you will reach the lowest point in your life while being constantly unsuccessful in finding a job. It makes you doubt yourself; being rejected can make you feel incompetent and unwanted. But, don’t give up. Find something outside of the unsuccessful job hunt to make you stay strong and keep trying; but change how you do things. Don’t keep trying to win a job with the same old ‘wrong’ things. Find out why you haven’t been successful and FIX IT! Then, apply again and again if necessary. Knock on doors, build networks, attend events in the field where you want to get a job, ask for informational interviews, not for employment but for experience.

Do internships for free for a while and win letters of recommendation for hard work, quick learning and a good work ethic. Make sure you have the requirements for the job that you are applying for. Things are tough right now in Namibia and jobs are hard to find. But, the right job is out there, somewhere, waiting for you. If you improve your tactics and prepare yourself properly, you stand a good chance of finding it.

Julia Martins